The story behind 'Sympathy for the Devil' and why it's essential listening

The most famous thing about “Sympathy for the Devil” might not be the song itself, but what happened when the Stones played it at the Altamont Free Concert in 1969. A fan was stabbed and killed by Hells Angels security just a few feet from the stage during the song, cementing the track as a symbol of that decade’s unraveling. That moment gave the devil-narrator concept a real-world chill that few rock songs have ever matched.

The song started as a folk-style exercise Mick Jagger wrote after reading Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita and some Baudelaire. Jagger wanted the devil to speak directly, chronicling his role in history—from the crucifixion to the Russian Revolution. The original demo was slow and acoustic, but producer Jimmy Miller pushed the band toward a samba groove, with pianist Nicky Hopkins and conga player Rocky Dijon driving the rhythm. Keith Richards overdubbed a rare clean electric guitar part, and Brian Jones played maracas. The result was a